Stage Details

Legislation -
Bill Tabled
(Senate)
(51-46) -
July 22, 2011(Key vote)

Vote Result

Yea Votes

Nay Votes

Vote on a motion to table a bill that establishes discretionary spending limits and requires a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution prior to increasing the debt ceiling.

Highlights:

Limits discretionary spending for fiscal year 2012 to $1.02 trillion in new budget authority, and $1.22 trillion in outlays (Sec. 101).

Limits total combined outlays for direct spending for fiscal year 2012 to $680.73 billion (Sec. 101).

Exempts the following items from limits placed on outlays for direct spending (Sec. 101):

Social Security;

Medicare;

Veterans benefits and services; and

Net interest.

Limits outlays for a given fiscal year to an amount of the gross domestic product for that year multiplied by the following (Sec. 201):

21.7 percent for fiscal year 2013;

20.8 percent for fiscal year 2014;

20.2 percent for fiscal year 2015;

20.1 percent for fiscal year 2016;

19.9 percent for fiscal year 2017;

19.7 percent for fiscal year 2018; and

19.9 percent for fiscal years 2019-2021.

Increases the debt ceiling from $14.3 trillion to $16.7 trillion, after Congress approves and sends to the states a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution that includes the following provisions (Sec. 301):

Total outlays are prohibited from exceeding total receipts;

Spending is limited to a percentage of the gross domestic product; and

All tax increases must be approved by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress.

Note:

NOTE: A SENATOR MAY MOVE TO TABLE ANY PENDING LEGISLATION, THUS HALTING FURTHER CONSIDERATION. A "YEA" VOTE IS IN SUPPORT OF HALTING FURTHER CONSIDERATION, AND A "NAY" VOTE IS IN SUPPORT OF FURTHER CONSIDERATION. TABLING MOTIONS ARE OFTEN USED TO KILL LEGISLATION.

Legislation -
Bill Passed
(House)
(234-190) -
July 19, 2011(Key vote)

Vote Result

Yea Votes

Nay Votes

Vote to pass a bill that establishes discretionary spending limits and requires a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution prior to increasing the debt ceiling.

Highlights:

Limits discretionary spending for fiscal year 2012 to $1.02 trillion in new budget authority, and $1.22 trillion in outlays (Sec. 101).

Limits total combined outlays for direct spending for fiscal year 2012 to $680.73 billion (Sec. 101).

Exempts the following items from limits placed on outlays for direct spending (Sec. 101):

Social Security;

Medicare;

Veterans benefits and services; and

Net interest.

Limits outlays for a given fiscal year to an amount of the gross domestic product for that year multiplied by the following (Sec. 201):

21.7 percent for fiscal year 2013;

20.8 percent for fiscal year 2014;

20.2 percent for fiscal year 2015;

20.1 percent for fiscal year 2016;

19.9 percent for fiscal year 2017;

19.7 percent for fiscal year 2018; and

19.9 percent for fiscal years 2019-2021.

Increases the debt ceiling from $14.3 trillion to $16.7 trillion, after Congress approves and sends to the states a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution that includes the following provisions (Sec. 301):

Total outlays are prohibited from exceeding total receipts;

Spending is limited to a percentage of the gross domestic product; and

All tax increases must be approved by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress.